TENBURY’S MINOR injuries unit will be closed until the end of March.

It was announced in a statement from the NHS Trust just before Christmas that the Minor Injuries Unit at Tenbury Hospital in Burford will not open again until the spring.

Pressure from Covid-19 combined with a low level of usage at the Minor Injuries Unit is behind the move that follows a number of shorter closures.

‘The Trust has taken the difficult decision to temporarily close Tenbury Minor Injuries Unit until the end of March 2022,’ said the statement.

‘We are working on the development of a new service which will provide treatments for patients who test positive for Covid-19, who have other health issues which put them at a high risk of hospitalisation.

‘For Worcestershire patients, this will be provided from Malvern Hospital Outpatients Department and the staff who normally work at Tenbury Minor Injuries Unit have been asked to support the overall delivery of this new service.

‘The numbers of patients who attend Tenbury Minor Injuries Unit is very low at the moment, often only one or two a day.

‘This decision will ensure we have the staffing capacity to deliver this new service which is likely to be needed by more people, all across Worcestershire, as we continue to support the wider pandemic emergency.

‘Anyone in Tenbury who has a minor injury, for example a sprain, strain, small burn or fracture which isn’t an emergency or life threatening, should contact NHS111 who will work with our the Triage team to help them get an appointment at the next nearest Unit.

‘The Trust remains committed to providing a range of services from Tenbury Community Hospital, and we fully expect to re-open the Minor Injury Unit in the spring.’